A brief survey of drug use and other activities preceding mystical-religious experiences
This online survey study (n=6209) investigated how often people who are sampled for reporting mystical-religious experiences attribute these to drug use. Stratified sampling was conducted via the application of Google Consumer Surveys, to gather data on activities that occasion mystical-type experiences. Amongst the subset of internet users who had mystical experiences, 4.7% of them attributed it to drug-use, which is less common than what might be naively predicted from studies of psychedelic users.
6 references indexed in Blossom
Authors
- Matthew Baggot
Published
Abstract
Introduction
Many people report having had mystical-religious experiences. The prevalence of these experiences has increased over time, which suggests changing cultural factors may contribute the experience.
Methods
I conducted an online survey of 6,209 adults to determine how common different activities, including drug use, were before the onset of a mystical-religious experience.
Results
19.6% (1,045) reported having had a mystical-religious experience and were asked a follow-up question on their activities before the experience. The most commonly endorsed pre-onset activity categories were: Prayer, meditation, or contemplation (37.2%); Being outdoors in nature (19.6%); and Religious ceremony, practice, or ritual (16.1%). Less commonly, respondents reported fasting (5.7%) or drug use (4.7%). A large percent (35.2%) reported not engaging in any of these activities before their experiences.
Discussion
Psychoactive drugs and nature are precedents to mystical-religious experience that are not selectively associated with traditional religious institutions and deserve additional study.
Research Summary of 'A brief survey of drug use and other activities preceding mystical-religious experiences'
βBlossom's Take
Drug use was a reported precedent for mystical-religious experience in a small minority of respondents
SourcedWhat activities were most often reported before a mystical-religious experience in this online survey?
- 19.6%
- Reported a mystical-religious experience
- 37.2%
- Prayer, meditation, or contemplation
- 4.7%
- Drug use
- 35.2%
- No listed activity before the experience
Pre-onset activities among respondents reporting a mystical-religious experience
Online survey study of 6,209 adults, with a follow-up subset of 1,045 respondents who reported a mystical-religious experience. These numbers describe self-reported precedents to experiences, not causation, and the survey does not establish that drug use caused the experiences.
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Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Populationhumans
- Characteristicssurvey
- Journal
- Author
- APA Citation
- Citation FormatsExport citation
References (6)
References cited by this study and indexed in Blossom.
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Nutt, D. J. · Journal of Substance Use (2010)
Griffiths, R. R., Richards, W. A., Mccann, U. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2006)
Griffiths, R. R. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2008)
Johnson, M. W., Maclean, K. A., Reissig, C. J. et al. · Drug and Alcohol Dependence (2011)
MacLean, K. A., Leoutsakos, J. S., Johnson, M. W. et al. · Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (2012)
Studerus, E., Kometer, M., Hasler, F. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2010)
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